Twice The Lightning Struck
by PsychoSammii
Summary: Who is Maya? And why is she wanted for murder? Will Eragon finally find his love of "Noble Birth"? And who is really the last Rider? An alternative to Paolini's "Inheritance". Our take on what SHOULD have happened! It could have been better, Paolini!
1. It's Only The Beginning!

Hello! Welcome to "Twice the Lightning struck." As written by CJNova and my friend PsychoSammi. This is an alternative to Paolini's story. We're following the life of the third Dragon Rider, Eragon, Murtagh and several others. See if you can guess who the Stalker is! I, CJNova, will write the first two chapters, and PsychoSammi will write the next two, switching back to me for the next two, etc etc.

Disclaimer- If we owned the books, we would NOT be writing these stories, would we now? That's just counter-productive :P

_**Bold Italics**__ – _A Stalker, who is after Maya. Throughout the story you may, or may not, guess who it is. If you do please don't ruin it for the other readers

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><p><span>Its Just The Beginning<span>__

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><p><em><strong>A roar touched my ears, alerting me to the arrival of an immense opportunity. Quick as a fox, I made my way to King Evandar's side, darting around the Urgal in an attempt to get to the King. The stupid creature blundered sideways, swiping at me and crunching the bones of Lord Vioran underfoot, allowing Evandar to slice the creature's head clean off. <strong>_

_**Fleeting despair ran through me as the Urgal fell to the ground, dead. My opportunity was not going well – the King was still alive, even if greatly wounded. He was reaching out to me with his mind, grateful for my distraction, so I took another chance and darted forward, slicing with all my might. The King gave a satisfying choking sound as he crumpled to the floor, his blood rushing too fast for him to heal.**_

_**With a smug flicker, I disappeared into the trees to plot my next moves.**_

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><p><em>3 months later…<em>

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><p>Tense silence filled the city of Ellésmera. No elf spoke a word, all paused in respect as the last notes rang out. The midwife shook, unusually weak and tired, as she handed the baby to Arya, its cousin. In a large bed sung from oak, lay Lady Ilana, Keeper of Secrets, widow, new mother, and recent deceased. Above her hovered Queen IslanzadÍ, holding her hand and studying her face in an attempt to find a flicker of life in her sister's face.<p>

When none was forthcoming, she allowed a single sob to pass her lips. The midwife left, and slowly volume returned – the elves began their mourning for the past noblewoman. Inside, IslanzadÍ shut her eyes against the mournful notes drifting in on a warm breeze. They lulled the baby to sleep, and instilled a sense of grief in Arya.

With a flutter of swan feathers, the Queen strode to Arya and inspected the baby cradled within her arms. Though she looked like her mother, there was no love for her niece in her heart. She recognised the duty left by her sister, though.

"Take the child to bed. She will stay here and be taught." IslanzadÍ ordered, dismissing the ambassador. Arya nodded respectfully and left, taking the unintentionally offensive child with her. With one more sorrow filled glance at Ilana, lying spread on the bed like she was asleep; IslanzadÍ followed her own daughter and went to make the necessary arrangements for the body to be sung into the earth.

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><p><em>4 years later…<em>

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><p>"Arya! Arya, look! Du niernen!" Looking up from her book, Arya observed the child bounding towards her, carefully cradling a flower within her grasp. The orchid had grown large, with strangely coloured petals – from the innermost part; it was infused with the colours of the rainbow, ending with a soft pink at the tips of the petals.<p>

"It's beautiful, Maya. Where did you find it?" Patiently, Arya sat as the child began to weave the flower into her long black hair, a silver rose already braided into her own silvery-fair locks.

"I didn't. I made it, like I made the rose." The child replied innocently.

"You made it?" Arya frowned. "From magic?"

"Yes. Audr du fell. I found another orchid and wanted to bring it to you and show you, but I couldn't bring myself to kill it. So I copied it." Wide dark eyes studied Arya as she dealt with the information that the child could already form such complex magic. "Was I wrong to do that?" The eyes got even wider still. "Will the Queen be mad at me? Oh, Arya-elda, I didn't know I was doing anything wrong! She can't punish me for that, right?"

"Theyna, child. Everything will be fine." Arya ran a soothing hand through the child's silvery hair, affectionately calming her. The child lived to please, but IslanzadÍ had a foul temperament when it came to her, and none of the other elves were willing to go against IslanzadÍ and openly acknowledge that they liked the girl. Thus, she spent a lonely existence running between Arya and the outside world full of wonders, keeping herself occupied with reading in the libraries and dancing along stripes of sunlight.

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><p><em>Two years later…<em>

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><p>Maya paused in her walk, glancing around the trees. She was in the Menoa Tree, testing her dexterity by leaping from branch to branch like a kitten building up strength and accuracy. She couldn't do it as easily and graceful as Arya – yet – but she had succeeded more than she had failed, and that was a good start. However, just then, she had heard a noise. Yes, definitely a noise.<p>

Intrigued, she fell carelessly off the branch into the springy moss below, clambered up, and followed her senses. She wandered between the trees until she reached a young sapling poking up from the earth. A wry smile flitted onto her angular face – between the enormous ancient trees, the sapling looked exactly like she did when in Ellésmera with IslanzadÍ and Arya.

Sitting upon the highest branch of the sapling was the noise-maker. As she moved forward, her eyes adjusted, and her smile turned genuinely joyful – she had found a raven. Ravens were not rare in the forest, but this one was purely white, and large too, much larger than the others.

"Hello, Mr Raven." She sang gently, walking up to the trunk. She peered through the branches, still softly crooning to the raven as she climbed.

"_Blagden is a name,  
>And Maya is the same<em>."

Maya froze, looking at the bird with wonder as it lifted a claw and scratched at its head. Then, she reached out, scooped it up, and dropped down. Ignoring the indignant squawk from the bird, she pelted head-long to Ellésmera, throwing her thoughts around until she found Arya sat with IslanzadÍ in the great hall.

"Arya! Arya, this raven can talk! He says rhymes, and he knows my name, and can I keep him? Please, please, please, dröttningu?" She begged, holding the bird up for her cousin to behold. The two women stared at the unremarkable bird for a while, and then at the hopeful look on Maya's face.

"I don't believe you should keep _pets_, Maya. Animals are intelligent creatures – to keep them as a pet is slavery." The Queen frowned down at the young girl, whose expression fell. The bird cawed.

"_A pet is what the girl needs;  
>All I ask in return are seeds.<br>If a pet you won't allow,  
>A familiar you will endow."<em>

The bird rhymed, causing a charmed look to spread on Maya's face. She bestowed a delighted smile upon the two women, and Arya beamed back.

"Of course you can keep him, Maya. Does he have a name?"

"He mentioned Blagden. He is Blagden, my raven. Elrun ono, Arya svit-kona." The elder cousin smiled privately to the Queen as the child danced from the room.

"Say what you like, mother. She knows how to charm." IslanzadÍ scowled fiercely and returned to her study of the spellwork her spellcasters had presented.

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><p><em>The same day…<em>

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><p><em><strong>Finally, my plans were all set in place. I would travel to Ellésmera once again, this time to kill the selfish fool IslanzadÍ and enslave her daughter's mind – through her, I will rule the elven community. I, one of those they fear so much! I, one of those who caused the Rider's downfall!<strong>_

_**But my plans, unusually, didn't go to plan. I arrived in Ellésmera intent on killing IslanzadÍ only to find her sheltering a child. Fancy – an elven child! There hasn't been one in Ellésmera since Arya was born all those years ago. The child is around six years old already, and is truly perfect.**_

_**She is slender and fair-skinned, like many elves, and has hair spun from starlight. Her eyes reflect the strange indigo colour of stormclouds before they break, but her infectious enthusiasm and astonishing beauty seems to go unnoticed by many. Indeed, she is publicly shunned by most.**_

_**I have found out, through several investigations, that her mother was Lady Ilana, the wife of the traitor Vioran. He was there when Evandar perished at my hands, and his wife followed him to the void soon after, merely living long enough to name her child before leaving this world.**_

_**I cannot kill IslanzadÍ. Perhaps in a few years, when the child has grown and can fend for herself better. For now, she needs the shelter and protection that IslanzadÍ can afford. If I were ruling Ellésmera and the elves through Arya, I would not have enough time as I'd like to be able to peruse the personality of this intriguing child. Perhaps I should wait…**_

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><p>Words from the ancient language used in this chapter:<p>

Du Niernen – The Orchid

Audr du fell – Up the mountain

Theyna – Be silent

Elrun ono – Thank you

Apart from the honorifics, these should be all you need to understand Thanks for reading! Next chapter skips ahead a few years to when Maya is fifteen. Read and review please! CJNova xXx


	2. On The Run!

Welcome to the second chapter of "Twice the Lightning struck" by CJNova and PsychoSammi. This will be my last chapter for the next two chapters, so please enjoy! And make sure to review, cause we love it when you do.

Disclaimer – I own the books. I really, truly do. In my dreams at night, not in the real world of course. Unfortunately_**.**_

_**Bold Italics**_ - A Stalker, who is after Maya. Throughout the story you may, or may not, guess who it is. If you do please don't ruin it for the other readers :)

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><p><span>On The Run<span>

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><p>It had been hard for Maya to be enthusiastic about the recent turn of events. Her interest in trees and birds, swordplay and magic? Unrivalled. Her love for all things breathing? Intangible. Her fascination with reading and singing? Irrevocable. But IslanzadÍ's request that she turn her attention from those past-times to the wedding rite that was being set up for her? Impossible.<p>

Not only had she known Lord DiNozzo less than three weeks, she knew only that – his name. She had met him once, in a brief introduction between him, IslanzadÍ and Maya, where she had gotten barely a glimpse at his face before being rushed off. And then, two weeks later, she had been informed that Lord DiNozzo was to become her husband.

It was a struggle. Maya naturally lived to please everyone, she would no doubt like her husband and be liked in return, but she could not love the man. A wedding rite was supposed to be about love, wasn't it? She had asked IslanzadÍ, who had assured her that her own wedding had been arranged in exactly the same way and at the exact same age of fifteen, and so Maya had settled her questions. She would not argue with IslanzadÍ. Perhaps for once, the Queen would at least _act_ as if Maya had done something right once this wedding was over.

Skipping through the hall with her raven on her shoulder, she gestured with a sweep of her arm towards the glittering icy decorations and seating sung out of the plants in the ground.

"What do you think, Blagden? It's beautiful isn't it? The Queen truly has outdone herself." She commented. The bird scratched his head with a claw and remained silent. "I will be wearing purple. I glimpsed the dress earlier when we snuck into the bridal chamber, before we were shooed out."

"_This wedding is a curse, a fate worse than the grave,  
>If you go through with it, you'll marry a knave."<em>

Maya glanced at her bird, unnerved. Though the bird often jested, he was always correct, and to give such a grim prediction must mean that this wedding truly shouldn't go ahead.

"Perhaps I should talk to Arya about this. See what she thinks." She admitted. The bird cawed, and took flight. "Where are you going?"

"_To feed or read with plenty of ease,  
>To do whatever on earth I please."<em> The bird answered, before disappearing through a window. Maya sighed, then fixed an optimistic smile upon her face and cast her thoughts around as she tracked down Arya.

She found her stood outside the bridal chamber, tugging at her dress. Arya would be leaving straight after the wedding to go to The Virden, who had news for IslanzadÍ, which saddened Maya. It meant she had no one to go to if she and her new husband were truly incompatible.

"Arya-elda!" She greeted her with a hug, peering up at the elder elf adoringly. She had been like a sister and a mentor to her throughout the years and had gained her respect time and again. "I would ask your opinion, if I may?"

"Speak, Maya. You have little time before you are married." As Arya spoke, she ushered Maya into the chamber beyond and began to prepare her dress. Maya obligingly stripped behind a screen, peering over the top.

"What do you think of this wedding? Of Lord DiNozzo?" Arya didn't so much as blink.

"I believe he will be able to provide you with everything you could ever desire. The wedding is a valid option for the course of your life." The dress was handed over and Maya stepped into it, held it to her chest and allowed Arya to begin tying the ribbon-held corset.

"An option. But not one I have to choose? What other option do I have? Refusing and risking the wrath of the Queen?" Maya sighed miserably, and Arya took the opportunity to yank in the corset, restricting her breathing.

"You could refuse to marry, yes. You could take your things and escape Ellésmera. Travel outside of Du Weldenvarden, become an adult before you make any decisions about who you want to be tied to for the rest of your life. It would be dishonourable to make this commitment and then break it at a later date, Maya. And you must remember, it will be hard to find a good man who would be able to see past the fact that you'd already been married once."

Maya was spun to face Arya as the older elf began to braid her hair. Maya studied her cousin, wishing she was as wise and knowledgeable as Arya. Perhaps then she'd know what to do.

"Did you think you would ever be married?" She asked. Arya's face became amused, and then serious again.

"Again, it's an option." She shrugged, dropping her hands. "There, perfect. You're ready." Maya and Arya looked around as the door opened – IslanzadÍ beamed as she saw Maya in the dress.

"Oh Maya, you're beautiful. Lord DiNozzo is sure to be pleased with his new bride. Kausta, kausta, sharjalví! We must make haste, the guests are all here." Maya followed her Aunt and cousin to the great hall again, absently casting her mind about for Blagden. She didn't want him to miss the wedding, despite his prediction that it would be a disaster.

She was handed a bunch of flowers – she noted with a small smile that they were her favourite rainbow orchids – and then she set off down the aisle at the slow, graceful pace that IslanzadÍ had spent a day teaching her. As she walked, she kept her gaze on her goal – the spot next to DiNozzo at the altar where IslanzadÍ and another influential elf, Myrnin, was stood, waiting to bond them together with magic.

Finally, she reached the end of the aisle and glanced up, unable to help herself. Her gaze landed on DiNozzo, and her heartbeat stuttered. Was this the man she was to marry? This… This old, nay, _ancient_ elf with owl eyes and cat-like teeth? The weight of stress pressed down upon her shoulders, and she felt the panic began to rise. Arya's options and Blagden's curse were ringing in her mind, drowning out the words of the rite being spoken by Myrnin.

When she was able to snap out of her terror attack, she glanced towards IslanzadÍ. The Queen was sat upon her throne, watching the wedding proceed with a smug look upon her beautiful face. She had known… She had known Maya would not object. She had _known_ that the decrepit elf beside her would not turn down an offer like this. She had _known_ that together, Maya would have no choice but to marry the elf and become his responsibility…

A sudden fury gripped Maya. The orchids fell to the floor, and she stepped away.

"Letta." She commanded Myrnin, who immediately paused. "I can't do this." She fled, sliding out of the hall and running along a corridor to the bridal chamber once more. She fell inside, collapsed into a chair, and hugged herself as she trembled, adrenaline surging through her veins at the simple thought. _She had disobeyed IslanzadÍ_.

She heard footsteps approach. Instantly forming arguments, she waited until IslanzadÍ entered and began to demand what was happening before letting loose in the ancient language. She ranted, pouring out her anger and hurt, throwing her words into the space between them as if to build a wall that would lock IslanzadÍ out of her life.

She described in great detail everything that IslanzadÍ had done to her, everything that made her angry or annoyed, everything that made her feel wronged, everything that had accumulated into this. This one, sparkling moment, where rebellion took control of her usually carefree mind and twisted it. This one moment with the clarity of spring water, where she would make or break her freedom. She would either sink or swim, become independent and run or bow to IslanzadÍ's will, go back in there and marry that ancient elf.

In return, IslanzadÍ raged. She screamed and cursed and threw things, and threatened and cursed some more. She hissed and spat and screeched, and yet still Maya talked, weaving her web of arguments. In a fit of pique, the Queen lashed out and caught Maya a backhanded slap across her face. The ring she wore sliced a cut upon her right temple, but Maya paid no attention to the slow trickle of blood.

IslanzadÍ glared at Maya as they finally both ran out of words. With gem-like eyes, so much like Arya's, the Queen stared her down. Maya gazed right back with unusually black eyes, as dark as the starry night sky. Finally, _oh-so-finally_, the Queen backed down. Maya was gone in a flash as the Queen's eyes flickered away for just a second, and she sprinted to her room, throwing her meagre possessions in a bag. They had been arguing so much and for so long that it had turned night-time from her midday not-wedding.

She threw a dark cloak around her shoulders, and then leapt out of her window, landing silently upon the ground more than thirty feet below. She darted sideways immediately, hiding behind a convenient tree as a group of elves sprinted into the house of IslanzadÍ – a commotion was happening at the far end of the lane. However, she had no time to waste. Maya chose a direction, and started a smooth pace into the dark forest.

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><p><em>Half an hour earlier…<em>

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><p>"<em><strong>Out of my way, vermin!" The old elf was insane. I jumped out of the way as he swiped at me, furious about his missing prize. He had been about to marry <strong>__my__** Maya, my darling innocent Maya. He had been about to **__take__** her from me! Well, now I was here to make sure he never made that mistake again…**_

_**With a smooth swoop and a glimmer of metal, my prey fell before my eyes, his blood rushing just as Evandar's had. I watched it soak into the floor awhile, my mind hazy with bloodlust and jealousy, before I remembered – Maya would be emotional, and I would have to be there to see it if I were to understand how her mind dealt with grief. I turned and leapt out of the window, fixating upon her jumbled half-hidden, half-scrambled thoughts that passed as a shield when she was upset.**_

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><p>Within ten minutes, she had slowed to a jog. Within half an hour, she had slowed to a walk. Despair scattered her thoughts, dragging her down into depression. She could not think of solutions to the problems her mind sprang up, and she barely noticed when a flash of white circled her and landed upon her shoulder.<p>

"_Wherever you're about to go,  
>You're going to get there far too slow."<em> She sniffled, and nodded.

"I know. I'm not sure if this is the right thing, though, Blagden. Ellésmera is all I know. It's all I have."

"_The time to change is here right now,  
>Unless to pressure you will bow.<br>I suggest we head to Osilon,  
>Hurry now, you must carry on."<em>

Another, softer sniffle, and then Maya nodded, pulling up the hood of her cloak and bounding forward once more. She leapt over tree roots and then up at a tree, kicking off immediately until she was bouncing higher and higher, reaching the lower branches easily. There, she swung from place to place, never fearing the fall, never miscalculating.

She reached Osilon by mid-morning the next day. She waited on the outskirts of the town, watching the bustle of activities going on. It was different to Ellésmera, in that the elves seemed busier and less intense, but the same somehow. Everyone had their own individual tasks or hobbies that they were pursuing.

Finally, she left the safety of the trees and began to wander the streets, watching the elves' lazy habits. She heard snatches of conversation and amused herself for a while, until she noticed the glances she was attracting. A susurration picked up, following her constantly as elves whispered to each other and stared. Blagden hopped from shoulder to shoulder in agitation.

"_It would be folly to stay here,  
>When ill tidings draw so near." <em>He cawed quietly.

"What are you talking about? You said Osilon, I came to Osilon." Maya whispered back, glancing around nervously. She hadn't failed to notice that the elves were lining the streets now, intrigued and cautious.

"_Circumstances change for the worst,  
>Escape afore the bubble does burst."<em>

Maya didn't hesitate to take Blagden's advice as she saw uniformed elves approaching. She ducked behind a house and found the forest again, evading the elves as easily as a mouse evaded a horse. She had been shunned her entire life, and had suffered IslanzadÍ's wrath – she had a few tactics to use against her own kind.

After a while, the trees began to grow smaller, younger and further between. The roots retreated into the floor, leaving an even terrain for her to walk across. Blagden remarked it was becoming sandier and less fertile, and Maya realised she was actually walking _out_ of Du Weldenvarden. The prospect, however daunting, seemed amusing. She was _leaving_. Actually making forward progress into the land outside of her usual home.

She knew nothing of the world outside. Why should she? IslanzadÍ hadn't counted on her ever leaving the forest, so why should she be aware of what lay beyond? Maya had no idea who ruled the land. Was it still IslanzadÍ? If so, she had to leave, get far, far away.

As she walked, Blagden amused her by riddles and rhymes, flitting about and gathering up shiny stones and sprigs of plants. They were rare here, in the flat, bare landscape. Far, far ahead, she could see a mountain range unlike any other she'd seen. Blagden steered her away from the nearest city, finding a safe place for her to cross the huge river blocking her from the mountains – her feet were beginning to get sore after so long walking and so little resting.

Still, she forged on. She had to find food somewhere, and she a safe place to sleep. Though elves were certainly able to deal with harsh conditions, she was only a child still, and children were allowed to indulge their minor complaints.

"_We approach a village,  
>Food must be pillaged." <em>Blagden observed.  
>Maya was forced to agree – she had absolutely nothing of value to barter with, nothing to sell, no money or jewellery. She felt bad that she would have to steal the food, but what other choice did she have? Until she found a way to earn money, or perhaps hunt and gather her own food, she would have to resort to underhand tactics.<p>

As night fell upon the small village, she stalked the streets as silently as a cat. Peering into houses through windows, she found a butcher's shop – and the silly owner had left a window cracked open. Leaving Blagden as look-out, she slid in and unhooked a chicken breast, then gathered up several other parcels of meat and tucked them into her cloak, holding them to her chest. As Maya wrapped herself back in her cloak, she pondered on what IslanzadÍ would think of her now. She had always disliked –hated even- Maya's preference for meats, it was just one more thing to add to the never-ending list as to why IslanzadÍ, her Queen, and her Aunt, hated her so. A soft noise from upstairs made her freeze, straining her ears, she realised that she had been stupidly wasting time.

The single noise changed into thundering footsteps, and a savage cry of "thief!" arose. She squeaked, frightened, and vaulted out of the window as the human crashed out of the door, meat cleavers in hand. "Thief! **Thief**!" He howled, causing doors to crash open. Maya fled, running faster than the humans could, but they didn't give up chasing her.

She sprinted along what seemed to be the main road, away from the village, towards the farms that surrounded the small cluster of houses. "_Get back here, thief! Fight like a man!_" A derisive scoff rose up her throat – fight like a man? They would fall beneath her fingers like she was plucking flowers from the ground, if she stopped and turned on them. But she didn't, as life was sacred and she couldn't bear to take their energy.

"What's going on?" She had found a small barn she'd hoped to hide in, but there was a boy there, stood outside with a pitchfork in hand. She pressed her back against a wall of hay, raising a finger to her lips and brushing her hair out of the way. Her fingers traced the scar on her temple and she winced. The boy stared at her as the villagers approached, and then glanced away. She disappeared with a flicker of her dark cloak, Blagden flying ahead.

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><p>Ancient language used in this chapter:<p>

Kausta – Come

Sharjalví – Move

Letta – Stop

Done. Chapter two, finished! And now, I hand you over to the lovely PsychoSammi for her rendition of the events following Maya's escape from Du Weldenvarden. See you on the other side! CJNova xXx


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